Knuckles The Thief
by JackleTheKitsune
Summary: A gift for someone who is too awesome to describe. Knuckles X Rouge, hope you all like.
1. Manners

**Knuckles The Thief**

**Chapter One - Manners**

(…)

A lone figure stood atop a large rock structure.

His form casting a silhouette down a tall staircase.

The moonless night was cold and quiet.

"If it weren't for this emerald, then I wouldn't have a shadow..." he breathed as his thoughts sluggishly went through his head.

"If it weren't for this emerald, I wouldn't even be here..." he laughed a bit just as a gust of wind came and swallowed his words.

"You shouldn't be here..." he said without turning from his spot, looking out towards the forest below.

A new figure now sat atop a crumbling stone pillar.

"Is that any way to greet an old friend?" She said while crossing her legs.

"So you're a friend now?" The first figure asked tensing up.

"Some gentleman you are Knuxie" The second figure said with a small frown.

"Like you are a lady?" Knuckles said turning to face the bat.

"You really are hard to figure out" Rouge said as she began to get up from her perch.

"What is that supposed to mean bat-girl?" Knuckles asked while beginning to walk back towards the Master Emerald.

"Every time I think you like me you go and say such horrible things" Rouge said this with a playful expression on her face.

Knuckles didn't respond, he just stood before the emerald and rested his back against it.

"Well I guess that's just because there is a fine line between love and hate" Rouge said with a smile.

Knuckles nearly fell when he heard this.

"Yeah well" Knuckles started trying to think of something.

"You make it thicker!" he finished with a satisfied feeling.

Rouge softly glided down from the pillar with a frown.

"Hmmpf" She went in her anger.

The wind blew a soft breeze before letting silence fill the air.

"What are you doing out tonight" Knuckles asked trying to break the silence.

"Not that I care" he added seeing her smile for a second.

"It is pitch black out, the perfect night for a bat" Rouge said breathing in the cool air.

"And you came here because?" Knuckles asked annoyed a little.

"Why wouldn't I come to see my favorite thing in the world..." Rouge smiled as she turned to Knuckles.

"Your favorite thing in the world?" Knuckles asked uneasy.

"Of course, that emerald is simply brilliant" Rouge said seeing the anger begin to spread to Knuckles' face.

"Hands off it" Knuckles barked even though she was a good distance away.

Rouge's smile widened as she stepped closer.

"I mean it Rouge..." Knuckles said as her steps continued.

"Or what" Rouge asked with her smile as wide as it could be.

"Or I make you keep your hands off it" Knuckles said raising his fist.

Knuckles saw as Rouge's face changed to fake innocence.

"You would hit a lady?" She said sounding offended.

"What kind of lady steals for a living?" Knuckles spat back.

Rouge's face changed to that of anger followed by a frown.

"The kind that will teach you to mind your manners." She said jumping at Knuckles.

(…)

Knuckles dodged his head to the left and avoided her foot.

He spun to the left before going for an uppercut.

Rouge jumped backwards with a backflip kick that landed on Knuckles Jaw.

"Ha, had enough" She said in triumph of the first hit.

"That's it" Knuckles said as he got up.

Knuckles leapt up high and crashed down towards Rouge.

She whipped to the side and brought an axe kick down to hit Knuckles.

Her foot fell on the ground instead as Knuckles continued with his momentum and burrowed into the ground.

"Huh" Rouge said in momentary surprise before jumping to the air.

Knuckles rushed forward from the ground and was up at Rouge's level before she could react.

She tried to whip around her foot and kick him but he grabbed her arm stopping her.

Knuckles spun around with her arm and then let go sending Rouge careening down the stairs to the area blow the altar.

Rouge cursed herself before righting in the air and landing on her feet as she skidded back.

She pushed herself forward with her wings, speeding along the ground till she was under Knuckles.

Knuckles saw his problem and tried to punch at Rouge but she spun behind him and kicked him with both her feet in his back.

Knuckles landed in a roll but a bit harder then he had wanted.

He stood while turning expecting to see Rouge upon him but instead she was gone.

"The Emerald" Knuckles said out loud while racing up the steps of the altar.

"The Master Emerald is still here" Knuckles commented to himself as he took a defensive pose.

Rouge popped out from behind a pillar and launched a roundhouse.

Knuckles caught her foot on his fist and deflected the blow.

Rouge then blocked a set of jabs by kicking Knuckles' arms off their course.

Her face widened in shock before she could back-spring away as Knuckles hit the ground hard enough to cause a hole.

Rouge jumped at Knuckles before he could recover and swept his legs from under him.

Knuckles grabbed her arm and dragged her down with him.

Rouge landed on top of Knuckles and her lips brushed against his for a split second.

Knuckles blushed in surprise and Rouge smiled darkly.

"You pervert, all this just to kiss me" Rouge said making Knuckles blush redder.

"As if, this is just another of your dirty tricks" Knuckles barked at her.

Rouge was still on top of Knuckles and let her smile widen.

Knuckles squirmed for a minute before he let out a grunt.

"Rouge..." he said sounding rather cross.

"Yes Knucklehead?" Rouge said seeing a spark of anger flash across his face.

"You can get off now!" Knuckles yelled even though she was right there.

"Learned your manners have we?" Rouge said with a smile.

Knuckles tried again to get out from under Rouge as she pinned him there.

"Fine" he said softly.

Rouge's large ears however heard it just as loud as if he had yelled.

"Good boy" she said with a dark grin as she got off him.

"Nice to see you can remember your manners" Rouge commented while brushing herself off.

"Manners..." Knuckles said with hatred in his voice.

(…)

**A Knuckles X Rouge story, from moi?**

**Many of you may have read my story Don't Forget Your Duty but I must say that Knuckles X Shade is not the only couple I support.**

**This story actually came to me as the idea for a gift for someone who is too awesome to describe.**

**So, hope you liked this SilverDawn, I know you prefer Rouge with Knuckles so I thought I might try this.**

**Hope to have the next chapter soon.**

**- One Psychopathic Maniacal Fox**


	2. Crescent

**Chapter Two - Crescent**

**(…)**

Knuckles began to slowly collect the broken stones from their fight.

"Afraid that rubble is going to runaway?" Rouge asked making a joke of it.

"It isn't rubble, it is part of the altar, and will return to such." Knuckles said as he began to look around.

Rouge just shrugged, "You and your duties..."

Knuckles moved to the hole he had made earlier.

He began to move the rocks he had collected over the pit.

"What you think you can put it all back, it went into a million pieces. I know you can be thick but come now Knucklehead." Rouge commented as she leaned against a pillar.

Knuckles ignored her comments and kept working.

"Argh..." sounded from his lips in a few minutes.

"I said that wouldn't work" Rouge said without looking.

"Heh, then why am I only missing one piece?" Knuckles said causing Rouge to look.

"What" Rouge blurted out before she could stop herself.

Looking at the spot where a hole had been before was now only a small crack.

"And once I find that last piece I'll be done" Knuckles said looking around.

"How can you do that" Rouge asked in surprise.

"The Master Emerald can restore itself, but it still needs a little help..." Knuckles said turning to Rouge before stopping.

Knuckles silently approached Rouge.

"What now?" She asked as he stepped towards her.

Knuckles didn't answer, he just kept walking.

"My beauty too much for you to describe?" Rouge asked with a flutter of her eyelids.

Again Knuckles didn't answer.

Rouge frowned a bit as Knuckles stood in front of her.

"Say something will you!" Rouge shouted annoyed.

Knuckles lean in closer to Rouge.

His face looming over her's.

"Knuckles..." Rouge said softly with her hands on his chest.

He reached his hand up behind her, as if to pull her into a kiss.

Rouge froze on the spot, her heart clenching.

Knuckles moved even closer, then, in a soft voice he said something.

"Got it" he said before backing away with a sliver of stone in his hand.

"Now I can fix it" He said aloud as he returned to the remains of the hole.

Rouge stood there stunned.

She could barely think.

Her balance faltered for a moment and she stumbled against the pillar.

A pebble fell from atop the pillar and bounced off her shoulder.

"Don't make me put that back too" Knuckles said as he finished with his work.

"You..." Rouge stuttered.

"You … Knucklehead" She failed to find the right words.

Knuckles turned to Rouge and then looked at the sky behind her.

"Shouldn't you be getting on?" he asked as the sky gained the soft colors of the approaching morning.

Rouge didn't bother answering, she unfurled her wings and flew off with the receding night.

She looked back as she flew, and as the orb of light known as the sun rose, she looked instead to the soft white crescent upon Knuckles' chest.

(…)

"Good riddance..." Knuckles said as Rouge flew off.

The next moment he felt something hard hit his head.

"Rouge!" He said turning around.

Instead of a bat however, he found a small rock.

Looking up he saw a cloud of dust come from another pillar.

"The wind..." he breathed with a slight hint of disappointment.

A slight noise like the soft ringing of a bell caught his ear.

"Or not..." He said to himself with a slight smile.

Turning to the sound he saw a small ball of red light for a moment before it began to change form.

"Good morning Tikal, stretching your legs?" Knuckles greeted the soft orange echidna spirit.

"Yes it is Knuckles, and maybe if I had them..." Tikal replied with her usual smile.

"Sorry, I forgot, only I can see you like this..." Knuckles apologized as Tikal came closer.

"Is Chaos worrisome?" Knuckles asked after a silence set in.

"No, he is content, I just wanted to watch the sun rise again" Tikal answered as she looked at the horizon.

"I'd think that after so long you would have tired of doing that" He commented as he too turned to look.

"But I never do" Tikal replied as the sun rose higher.

"How do you always get up this early" Knuckles asked with a yawn.

"I don't, no need to sleep remember" Tikal answered with a small giggle.

"Wish I didn't need to" Knuckles said as he laid down on the steps.

"If that bat-girl, Rouge, correct? Didn't pop in so often maybe you wouldn't be so tired in the mornings" Tikal suggested seeing Knuckles' face redden.

"I have to protect the emerald, or she will try and steal it again" he said turning his head from Tikal.

"She has barely mentioned the emerald for the last few times, she hasn't even tried to touch it." Tikal stated causing Knuckles to look up.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Knuckles was unsure of where this was going.

"I think she is coming back for something other than the emerald."

"Like what?" Knuckles asked with an odd feeling in his stomach.

Tikal turned and headed back for the Master Emerald.

"Maybe for the moon..." She said cryptically as her spirit melded back into the emerald.

"But there was no moon last night" Knuckles thought to himself.

Tikal looked out from the emerald and let a small giggle escape.

"And tonight the moon will be just a crescent"

(…)

**Ok, Guardian Of Legend, I know you are reading, c'mon speak up.**

**You think I wouldn't write a Knuckles fic without thinking of you.**

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**

**Next one up soon I hope.**

**- One Psychopathic Maniacal Fox**


	3. Clouds

**Chapter Three - Clouds**

(…)

Knuckles laid atop the Master Emerald as the night set in.

"She will be here soon" He thought aloud as he stared at the sky.

The soft crescent of the moon shone for a moment before being swallowed by the clouds again.

The sound of trickling water pulled Knuckles from his thoughts.

He looked down and saw a figure rising from a puddle of water.

"Chaos..." He said with a slight nod.

"..." The god remained as silent as ever.

Chaos slowly moved to the edge of the altar before turning into a puddle and washing down the steps.

"I must stay here always... even Chaos doesn't have to stay here..." Knuckles thought to himself before he felt a small breeze.

"You again?" Knuckles said without looking.

"Of course, you owe me Knucklehead" Rouge said as she hovered there.

"I owe you nothing Rouge, except maybe a ticket off my island" Knuckles felt odd for what he was saying.

"I'll ignore that, and the smell" Rouge joked and was rewarded with Knuckles' temper.

"You can't smell anything through that horrid scent" Knuckles yelled back with her perfume hanging on the air.

"That, is Peach Mango Paradise, very exotic and expensive" Rouge said slightly offended.

Knuckles just laughed for a bit, "Smells nothing like mango or peach yet you buy it cause it's expensive."

"And you would know all about peaches and mangoes, you're just an anteater with bad fur" Rouge saw her comment hit home.

"I'M AN ECHIDNA AND YOU AREN'T WELCOME HERE!" he bellowed causing several creatures in the forest below to stir.

"And you don't have to shout" Rouge said rubbing her ears.

"Don't like it, then leave" Knuckles said softly.

Rouge smiled for a bit before sitting down next to Knuckles.

"Hey, what are you" He started but Rouge cut him off with a kiss.

"Then I'll stay" Rouge said with a wink before laying across his lap.

"What!" Knuckles blurted out without thinking.

Rouge smiled before she stretched.

"I said I'll stay" Rouge said as looking up at the sky.

"What for!" Knuckles felt his face get hot from her touch.

"I'm waiting..." she simply said while scanning the sky.

"For what?" Knuckles said this time feeling a bit odd.

"Wow, you said it backwards..." Rouge joked slightly before faking a yawn.

"Not funny Rouge, now get off" Knuckles said with his temper flaring for a moment.

"If you want me off why haven't you just pushed me off" Rouge said as she began to sit up.

Knuckles stayed quiet and Rouge smiled.

"Well, I can't see it yet..." Rouge sounded disappointed.

"See wha" Knuckles started before being cut off with another kiss.

Rouge pulled Knuckles closer and she soon felt his arms around her.

As the kiss faded from their lips Rouge rested her head against his chest.

"Never mind, the clouds aren't in the way anymore" Rouge said into his soft fur.

"What are you talking about?" Knuckles asked as he held her.

"I wanted to see the moon, but the clouds were in the way at first. But now, there are no clouds in the way" Rouge said as she nuzzled against his chest.

(…)

"Knuckles..." Rouge said looking up to his violet eyes.

"Do you have feelings for me?" She asked feeling odd.

Knuckles couldn't speak for a minute, did Rouge really just sound... vulnerable...

He saw her eyes widen in anticipation and longing.

"She does seen vulnerable... I don't like it..." Knuckles thought to himself.

Then he wondered something, why?

Why did he not like it, did he want to protect her.

But then why did he want to do that, she always seemed ready to hurt him or try and steal the emerald.

Did he really care... yes...

Could he really care that much... yes...

Did he really care that much about her?

No, he cared more.

In fact he loved her.

"Yes..." He said so soft Rouge could barely hear it even with her large ears.

"Yes... Rouge I have feelings for you" Knuckles said surprised at himself.

"Huh" Rouge stammered in shock.

"I know that you are a thief but I do have feelings for you..." he trailed off in thought.

Rouge was still stunned a bit.

Knuckles, the unmoving, never changing mountain... had just confessed a secret... about her.

"I..." Rouge was at a loss for words.

"I know that you are a thief, and every inch of my body said not too... but I fell in love with you..."

Rouge looked at Knuckles as he said these words... and he was... crying...

"I would give you all I can... and do my best to prove it... but I know you don't feel the same..."

"Knuckles..." Rouge couldn't believe what he was saying, or how much it was starting to hurt.

"One day, I would trust you enough that I know I would fail my duty to protect the emerald..." Knuckles lifted Rouge from his lap and set her down softly.

"You should go" Knuckles said before jumping and gliding away into the forest below.

Rouge sat up with her mind racing.

"Of all the times you had them loving you... it's only with this one that you freeze..." Rouge cursed herself.

"But none of those others actually loved you, nor did you love them back..." She heard her conscious yell at her.

"Why did I have to freeze, if I was on assignment from G.U.N. Then I would be dead." Rouge was furious with herself.

"Every time I think something is about to clear up..." Rouge began as she unfurled her wings.

She hovered for a bit before flying off in the direction Knuckles had gone.

"It always gets so cloudy..."

(…)

**Things always get more complicated, don't they...**

**Next chapter should be up soon...**

**Till next time...**

**- One Psychopathic Maniacal Fox**


	4. Thief

**Chapter Four - Thief**

**(…)**

Rouge flew out over the forest.

Her wings beating softly against the air gaining her lift.

She scanned the area but couldn't see anything with the clouds covering the moon.

"You're a bat you idiot" She mumbled to herself before beginning to send out small waves of sound.

She closed her eyes and listened intently.

Half a moment later the entire forest was laid out below her in small pulses of sound.

She kept at it, looking for any movement in the trees below.

"Stupid trees" Rouge commented as she softly descended to the ground.

Rouge walked through the trees while still trying to find Knuckles with her echolocation.

She took a step over a tree root and then tripped when her foot slid sideways.

"Heels are not idea for this" She heard herself saying in her mind.

The next moment Rouge jumped to her feet, was someone out there laughing.

She strained her ears and heard the telltale sound of laughter.

"What's so funny!" She yelled into the trees.

"You can see in the dark and you still stumble" came back mockingly through the trees.

"So, you must walk into things all the time Knucklehead" Rouge was using his voice to draw closer.

"I have these woods memorized" Rouge heard Knuckles say, but the next line stopped her dead.

"And it's easy to tell where you are with that horrible smell on you"

Rouge screamed in her head, "I won't be caught by something so simple, I'm a master thief so C'mon hun you can catch him."

Rouge soon guessed to Knuckles location but she didn't go in right away.

She instead circled around until the wind was in her face.

"Now he can't smell me" She thought to herself.

She flew forward slowly and quietly making sure to not give away her position.

"Got you" She breathed as she came to a small clearing.

Knuckles sat on a large rock formation with a handful of grapes next to him.

Rouge wasn't sure why but she held back and settled into a tree.

Knuckles popped a grape into his mouth but spat it back out.

"Not even grapes help..." he thought aloud.

"Rouge, if I could just..." He seemed to be practicing saying something.

"I said I love you and that means tha... oh, whats the point" Knuckles grabbed another grape before putting it down.

"In a few moments Angle Island will start to fall once Rouge gets the Master Emerald from the altar." Knuckles kept up with his thinking aloud as he began to stand up.

"I HATE HOW SHE DOES THAT!" he yelled as he threw a punch at nothing.

Rouge looked on with shock as a small explosion pierced the air.

"He's that strong... but... he has to be hold back when he fights me then..." Rouge's thoughts raced.

Knuckles sat back down and grabbed yet another grape.

He threw it up and opened his mouth to catch it.

He closed his eyes to think but then noticed that the grape never came down.

A slight breeze washed over him and he opened his eyes immediately.

"I prefer mango but these grapes look good" Rouge said before tossing it into her own mouth.

"Very good, you will simply have to show me where you get these" Rouge joked as she set herself down next to him.

"What are you doing!" Knuckles stammered surprised.

"Well, I am a bat and certain bats do like fruit" Rouge replied in her normal mocking tone.

Knuckles couldn't grasp the situation so he said the first thing that came to him, "So you steal my grapes?"

"I'm a thief aren't I?" Rouge said with her smile growing wide.

"Thief" Knuckles scoffed.

(…)

"In case you have forgotten, the Master Emerald is back at the altar" Knuckles said with a cold tone.

"And?" Rouge said while swiping another grape from Knuckles hands.

"I assumed you forgot, otherwise I don't know why you would bother sticking around" Knuckles fists were clenched.

"Oh you know why I'm here" Rouge said while beginning to rise into the air.

"None of that Rouge, take what you want and leave" Knuckles stood to ready himself.

"What if what I want is to not leave?" Rouge said moving closer to Knuckles.

He felt as her hand went to is chest, softly pressing against his birthmark.

Knuckles was speechless as her lips seemed to glide closer.

Rouge pressed her lips against his and softly teased his birthmark.

Then, Rouge got the shock of her life.

Knuckles arms came around her, one at her head and another above her waist.

Then Rouge felt as Knuckles pulled her even closer, the soft pressure adding to the kiss.

Before she could fully indulge in the pleasure however, another sensation swept over her.

Her lips were forced apart with a small yet thick tongue that literally wrapped around hers.

Rouge let out a small moan as the feeling sent shivers down her body.

Her legs began to quiver and she moved her arms to around his neck for support.

His grip tightened and Rouge could tell her legs were just about to fail.

She fell and Knuckles went with her, trying to keep her safe.

They landed in the same way that they had the other night.

But this time, their lips met and stayed that way.

Labored breathes followed as their embrace ended with each in the other's arms.

"What..." Rouge began but her panting cut her off.

"Was that..." She finished while still out of breath.

"I am an echidna" Knuckles said with a smile as his breath came back sooner.

"That hardly explains anything" Rouge said softly as she nuzzled against his chest.

"Spiny Anteater... so I have a long tongue... although I never really found ants that good" He added the last part with a small chuckle.

Rouge smiled a little with some dark thoughts.

Knuckles caught her smile and instantly felt worried.

"If I can't avoid your tricks i'll use some of my own" He said as he began to get up.

Rouge pulled him back down with a hurt expression on her face.

"Knuckles... that wasn't a trick..." Rouge began to cry lightly.

Knuckles felt a tinge of pain go through his head, he had made her cry...

"Then... what was it" Knuckles asked trying to be comforting.

"It was true..." Rouge said her tears increasing.

"It was all true, the flirting, the kicking, the kissing... I've admired you for so long..." Rouge kept trailing off as she choked on her sobs.

"How... how long..." Knuckles was so stunned he couldn't do more then simple questions.

"The Ark..." Rouge said thinking back.

"But.. but.. You called me a PERVERT, and for SAVING YOU!" Knuckles shouted and saw Rouge laugh a bit.

"I love that temper..." She said as Knuckles moved closer.

"I'm sorry... I always thought you were just after the emerald..." Knuckles said with pain in his heart.

"No... at first maybe... but after The Ark... I didn't want it anymore..." Rouge said her tears finally stopping.

"I said I loved you the other night... I wasn't lying Rouge" Knuckles said while beginning to caress her back.

Rouge's wings flexed in response to the touch and she smiled before sighing.

"What's wrong?" Knuckles asked, his back starting to hurt from being on the ground.

"Nothing, I just never thought you would be such a thief" Rouge said with her smile becoming darker.

"What, I'n no thief, Thats YOUR job!" Knuckles let his temper flare again.

Rouge laughed a little again before she kissed Knuckles lightly.

"You are, and a good thief at that"

Knuckles didn't respond and Rouge continued.

"You grabbed the most heavily guarded thing in the world"

Knuckles could feel the anticipation growing in his heart.

"But I didn't stea" He was cut off by Rouge's lips.

"You stole my heart" She whispered to him.

They shared another kiss, tongues dueling to and fro.

The passion rolled around with their lips, softly pushing and receiving more and more as things built up.

Both eventually parted, soft lips still quivering from the others' touch.

"And I'm gonna steal yours too" Rouge said with a smile.

"After all, I'm a thief, like you"

Knuckles kissed Rouge again and let her taste wash across his lips.

"Knuckles The Thief..."

(…) 

**For now, it seems that this story has come to an end.**

**However, if it is requested (Because I said that I take requests on my profile) this story could always be continued.**

**Beware however, I may ask for input as well.**

**I would say until next time... but I don't know when that will be...**

**So, for now, thank you for reading.**

**Also, Please review, I know you are out there people, I would love it even if you just said hi in a review.**

**And I think I did a real good job with the name of this one, even though I spelled it wrong at first (Thanks SilverDawn)**

**(Ok, my favorite part is here)**

**Good Night, Live Life, And Stealing Can Be Rewarding... But Not If Stolen From Me!**

**- One Psychopathic Maniacal Fox**


End file.
